The Adventures of Simplicity
by drunk off of diet coca-cola
Summary: (not sure if this should be in LOTR) A maid in the Mirkwood palace sets out on a whirlwind adventure...(NOT A MS! Has little connection to canon cast)
1. Something More

A/N: Not a Mary-sue in the least. Has very little connection with canon cast or the outside events of Middle Earth. 

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times or so it seemed.        

I turned over on my side. When would I become the elf my parents had raised? I was raised in the woods of Mirkwood; my parents were mere subjects to the King and his royal family. My name is Helinwen, violet maiden, basically, meaning I was born in a patch of violets. 

          I wanted to leave the woods. Don't get me wrong, the woods was where every girl would love to live. I was a maid in the household of the King's halls. I had never seen the King or the Prince, and I never wanted to. I wanted to travel and see more than woods. I knew there were was more. 

          "Helinwen? Would you go and get the water for the day?" the cook asked me. 

He was a man who cooked glorious meals, and always was kind and sweet. 

"Of course, Lakil", I said and got up.

I put my apron over the skirt part of my dress. I braided my hair into a simple fishtail and went out to the river that ran through the Forest. It was a lengthy walk, nearly a kilometer, but I was used to the walk. 

I reached the river and scooped my two buckets full of water, and walked back to the kitchen quickly. 

Lakil had started the tea for the day, and I sipped a cup of it. 

          "Helinwen!" he cried and shook his head. 

          "What? Do you want to serve bad tea to the King?" I asked him. 

          "No. Won't he notice?" he asked me. 

          "He doesn't notice most things", I said and washed my hands. After I had washed my hands and taken the tray to the King's library, I started on the daily chores. 

My first chore was the change the bed sheets in the Prince's chamber. I knocked on the door. 

"My lord? Are you awake?" I asked him. 

"I am not decent", he called back. 

"I have a schedule to follow, can you move it along?" I asked him. 

"Yes, maid", he sighed. 

I waited a few moments and he emerged from the bedchambers. 

"You may proceed", he said. 

I went into his bedchamber, changed the sheets, and snuffed the candles. 

          The elf prince was an interestingly clean man; he barely even changed his clothes. 

I went back into the kitchen where the other maids where doing laundry. 

"Can you believe the King is still trying to locate his wife?" one of the maids gossiped. 

I had no care for idle chitter-chatter. It reminded me of two birds quarreling in the trees. 

"So, Helinwen, any news in the Prince's bedchamber", the same maid asked me. 

"No", I said quietly. 

Lakil looked over, the look of natural approving in his eyes. 

          I smiled at him, and went on with my laundry. 

          Several hours later, I found myself with spare time, which was rare. 

          "Lakil, I have a spare hour. What should I do?" I asked him. 

          "Try this", he thrust a spoon at my mouth. 

          I took a sip. 

          "What is this?" I asked him. 

          "Mint soup. I've been working on it for a while", he said. 

          "Serve it", I said. 

          "Now, that you've tried that, go work on where you're going to camp and end up", he said. 

          "Did you bring me some maps?" I asked him. 

          "No. But someone found these", he said and stopped cooking for a moment to open a drawer in the desk in the kitchen. 

          He handed me a stack of maps tied with twine.

          "Diola lle", I said. 

          "You're welcome", he said. 

          I went into my quarters. It wasn't much, just a bed and an open wall with a desk and a table. I had a hook on the wall where I hung my apron and nightgown. I sat at the desk, and open the maps. They were of the northern part of Middle Earth. I also noticed I had one of the realm of Gondor. I figured I could leave Middle Earth entirely and go to the Undying Lands early. 

I dipped my quill into ink and wrote on the parchment. 

          Minas Tirith: Midsummer's Day 

          Rivendell: Midsummer's Day of the following year 

My parents spoke of small towns and lodging when I had threatened to leave Mirkwood. I had to remember that I was a young girl and a simple escort would be good.  

"Helinwen?" Lakil called for me. 

"Yes?" I came to his call. 

The elf prince stood in the kitchen of his own palace. 

"Yes, my lord?" I asked him. 

"You left this in my room"; he said and extended his hand out to my own. 

I extended my hand and he placed the bracelet I had gotten from my father right before he had left Middle Earth. 

"Diola lle, heru en amin", I said. 

He bowed and left the room. 

"That was nice of him", he said. 

"Yes. Very nice", I said and opened my hand. 

I looked in, and saw the bracelet latch had been repaired. I returned it to my wrist.  

*~ 

*~

*~ 

Lakil and I ate some of the leftover dinner and went for a walk before bed. 

          "I know you are troubled by going away for so long", he said.  

          "Of course I am! I'm going to be leaving my entire life behind me!" I cried. 

"I know, that's why I wanted to know if I could go along with you", he said, turning to me. 

"Lakil…" I sighed, "Of course." 

"So, when have you decided to leave?" he asked me. 

"Not sure. After the spring rain, sounds appropriate", I said softly. 

"Yes. That way the world will be warm for you", he said, looking at the trees. 

The spiders in the forest had been run out the King's halls since the elf prince was old enough to leave the vicinity. 

I yawned. "Quel kaima, Lakil"

"Quel kaima", he whispered. 


	2. Leaving Mirkwood

~* Thank you to Ivy… I couldn't be the writer I am today without her…*~ 

          The King woke everyone in the household extra early. Lakil woke me up, in my nightgown. 

          "Don't bother, he won't mind", he told me as we went down to the end of the servants' quarters. He wrapped his cloak around my shoulders. 

          "'Quel amrun llie (good morning all of you). I bring you all early this morning that I will be assigning most of you to go to Undying Lands", he said. 

          There was chatter amongst the group. 

          "You have been most excellent to me and my family, and for that I am in debt to your lives. However, the boats in the Havens are now official leaving for good", he said. 

          I looked at Lakil, whose eyes shone with fear. 

          "Lakil?  Lle tyava quel? (Do you feel well)?" I asked him. 

          "Yes, I'm alright", he said, brushing me off. 

          I touched his arm, to be sure that he was okay. 

          "I want the younger elves to stay here until the last fifteen boats are ready to leave. The elder elves, I want you to leave first", the King said.  

          I did not know Lakil's age. My own age was 3,140. 

          "Helinwen, when are you leaving?" Lakil asked me. 

          "In the middle, how about you?" I asked him. 

          "Not sure", he said. 

          "Lakil, how old are you?" I asked him, still touching his arm. 

          "5,012 years old", he said.  

          I couldn't believe my ears. I would have though he around my age. 

          "Surprised, are you?" he asked me, looking at me with his gray eyes. 

          I nodded. 

          "Come, let's go to the kitchen and figure out if I should go with you", he said, taking my arm, and leading me down the hallway.  

          We got to the kitchen, everyone went back to sleep, it wasn't even sunrise yet. 

          I sat at the table, and folded my hands across the table. Lakil sat across from me and sipped tea. 

          "So, how do you think I compare to leave these shores?" he asked me. 

          "I don't think you should go. I need you here with me", I said. 

          "Then, we should leave now, and our ending point will be the Gray Havens", he said, reaching over to touch my hands. 

          "You don't have a replacement. We have duties to the King", I said softly. 

          "The King will not take offense. He will only assume we just left", he said under his breath.  

          I got up and went into my bedroom. I didn't have anything you would wear on a riding trip. I went to the wash line and took of one of the prince's jerkins, shirts and tights. I went back into my room and changed. Lakil had done the same, except instead of being dressed in shades of greens; he was dressed in shades of dark blue. 

          "Are we taking horses?" I asked him. 

          "If you want to reach your destinations earlier", he said. 

          I nodded. My father taught me how to ride a horse before he left. I went into the stables, the white horses all groomed to perfection and ready to ride in a moment's notice. There was no stable hand around, so I took the two horses furthest from the door. I took their saddles and fixed them on them. I had to go looking for their bridles, but I realized they were in the stalls. I finally walked them back to Lakil and the kitchen door. 

          Lakil had his sword and his quiver and bow ready. 

          "I didn't know you knew how to wield a sword or shoot a bow", I said. 

          "I don't talk about it often", he said, and armed his horse up. 

          "No food?" I asked him.   
          He held up a pouch. 

          "I can hunt, remember?" he said smiling. 

          I laughed softly. 

          I mounted my horse, and let her canter. 

Lakil soon caught up to me and we rode side by side through the forest and on the path that was created by the people of the wood. It ran right from the King's halls to the Great River.  

          I slowed down a bit; it was nice to see the rest of Mirkwood. 

          "Lakil, what happened to the woods?" I asked him. 

          "I know that the Dark Lord came here and brought his evil creatures with him. The former name of Mirkwood was Greenwood", he said, riding close by my side. 

          An elf archer stood down the way. 

          "Mani naa lle umien (What are you doing)?" he barked at us. 

          "Lye naa lema I'Valinor (We are journeying to the Havens)", Lakil said.  

          "Aa' i'sul nora lanne'lle (may the wind fill your sails)", he said let us pass. 

          We rode a bit faster and then stopped. 

          "My father's job used to be doing that. I would sit in the trees and wait for his word to attack", Lakil said. 

          "You were part of the defense force?" I asked him. 

          "Defense force is too strong of a word. I was part of the alliance that took down Sauron in the last age", he said. 

          "Then how come you are not honored like the rest of the Elves who fought?" I asked him. 

          "I had no interest. To be an Elf-lord and be waited on hand and foot, I couldn't see myself doing that", he said. 

          "What would you have been Elf-lord over?" I asked him. 

          "A part of Mirkwood, I'd have to pay tribute to the King and collect taxes, and all sorts of things like that", he said. 

          "Do you regret it, you know, not being Lord Lakil of Mirkwood?" I asked him. 

          "No, I suppose I don't. Probably because my name's not really Lakil, Helinwen", he said. 

          "Then what is your name?" I asked him, Lakil was really nice, and I wasn't worried. 

          "Astald, valiant. My father named me, and he was right. I was valiant", he said.   
          "That's a beautiful name", I said. 

          "Thank you", he said. 

          We reached the edge of the woods and we were now by the Great River. 


	3. Romance Blossoming

          The cool breeze off the water made me feel much more like we were at home. Lakil, I called him Astald now, was making camp. He was beautiful, the light blonde hair in his face, and his blue eyes always watchful. I suppose living in Mirkwood would make someone like that. 

          "I'm going out to find us some game", he said, picking up his bow and quiver. 

          "I'll get some water for boiling", I said. 

          He laughed, "You always did that!"

          I smiled. "It's the only thing you let me in your assistance", I said jokingly.   
          "That's not true. You also taste foods me", he said. 

          "I don't cook anything", I said, and went over and kissed his cheek, "Now, go and be safe", I said softly. 

          "I'll come back as soon as I'm done", he said and hurried off into the woods. 

          I was shocked myself, I don't know why I kissed him on the cheek, just probably out of friendship, and hope for him to return. Did I love Astald? Did he love me? He had watched out for me on zillions of separate occasions, and he always knew what I was thinking, or feeling. 

          I got the water for boiling and made sure it wouldn't tip over. 

          Astald returned with a few quails. He came back, and sat down and began plucking them. 

          "That's woman's work, Astald. I'll do it", I said. 

          "I do this all the time. I know how to do it faster than some women", he said and took two handfuls of quail feathers at once. 

          Shortly after he was cooking it in a pot. 

          "I feel so helpless. You're doing all the work", I said. 

          "Helinwen, you're supposed to be having fun, just calm down", I said. 

          I smiled at him and sat down next to the water's edge. 

          He came around to my side. 

          "Can I ask you what the kiss was for?" he asked me. 

          "I don't know myself, so don't ask", I said to him. 

          He kissed me on the lips. 

          "I've only kissed one girl in my entire life, can you believe that?" he asked me softly. 

          "Yes. You're too loyal to just kiss a bunch of girls", I said softer than him. 

          "Now, the question, is how many boys have you kissed?" he asked me.

          "Two, you and my first kiss", I said. 

          "Do you love me?" he asked me. 

          I got up. "Do you love me?" 

          "More than anything", he said. 

          I sat back down, "Do you mean it?" 

          He kissed me on the lips, except this time it was longer and varied in strength. 

          I was breathless when he broke off. 

          "Do you think I mean it?" 

          I wanted to run, but I was still in shock by his amazing kiss. 

          "Yes. I think you mean it more than you can say", I said breathlessly. 

          He smiled. "Promise me before we take the ship to the Valinor, you will marry me", he said. 

          "I promise", I said my eyes still closed.  

"Melisse, you can open your eyes", he said. 

"Is this is a dream, or is it real?" I asked him after I had opened my eyes. 

"It is real. Just as real as the love that I love you", he said. 

"Amin mela lle", I said. 

"Amin mela lle", he said. 

          When I had left, I had left with one of my best friends I had ever had. He had made me feel like a woman was supposed to feel, loved, honored, respected. When I went to sleep that night, he and I were in love. We had not made love yet, he had promised me a virginity oath until our wedding night. 

~* 

~*

~* 

          I awoke the next morning, the sun shining and the sounds of the river and the woods combined were very soothing. 

"Helinwen?" Astald asked me. 

"Yes?" I said, sitting up, and running my hands through my hair. 

"Oh. I thought you were waking. I wanted to tell you that we should be on our way to the realm of Lorien. I have a sister who lives there", he said.

Obviously not mentioning family history was no big deal. 

"Does she know you are coming?" I asked him as I rolled up my sleeping bag and attached it to my horse's saddle. 

He shook his head no. 

I smiled at him, "Only you. It will be alright", I said. 

We heard the sound of horses in the background and only hoped it wasn't the guard after us. It was the elf prince, and a few of the council members. 

"Vedui' heuramin", Astald said. 

"Vedui' mellonamin. Manke naa lye autien (Where are you going)?" he asked him. 

"I'Valinor", Astald responded despondently. 

"Oh. Quel marth, mellonaminie (Oh. Good luck friends) ", he said. 

"Diola lle. Manke naa lye autien?" Astald asked him. 

"Imladris. There is talk of a powerful ring", he said. 

"Amin naa Astald", Astald said, and bowed. 

"Amin naa Legolas. Of course, you know that. I suppose I should be bowing to you. You said your name was Astald?" he said.

"Yes. My name is Astald", he said, going to his horse. 

"I don't suppose you fought the battle against Sauron. My father has a mighty reward for the man who fought in that battle", he said dismounting. 

         "What sort of reward?" Astald asked him. 

          "Second in line for the throne", he said. 

          "Legolas, go to your father, tell him that the mighty Astald has returned to Mirkwood", he said. 

          "I must go to Imladris", he said. 

          "I am the Astald you speak of", he said deeply. 

          Legolas nodded, and turned his horse and went at full gallop into the woods of Mirkwood. 

          "You promised you take me everywhere!" I cried. 

          "If I take up my spot in the Mirkwood line, we can stay anywhere. And we can marry in Mirkwood", he said. 

          I could do nothing but nod. 

          Astald mounted his horse and rode after Legolas, in full gallop. 

          "Not to worry, miss. A man of those words, will keep his promises", a councilman said. 

          I wish I could have agreed. 


End file.
